Centrifugal



F. SCH AUM LCENTRIFUGAL Feb. 7, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1929 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 7, 1933 FLETCHER SCHAUM, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA, ASBIGNOR 1'0 FLETCHER WORKS, INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYLVANIA OENTRIFUGAL Application filed July 27,

This invention relates to an improvement in centrifugals or extractors or other rotating bodies, hereinafter referred to as censary to prevent vibrations set up in the matrifugals, and has for one of its objects the provision of a construction in which the rotating parts need not be in balance, these parts being supported on a sliding base resting on a curved or concave surface.

More specifically I provide an under-sup ported centrifugal in which the rotating parts are supported on a slidable spherical foot, the center of the spherebeing at or above the center of gravity of the rotating parts with load.

By reason of my improved construction the machine may be constructed with an open top which makes it very convenient for loading and unloading. The machine can be set on the floor without providing an opening or pit below it, and no suspension is neceschine from being transmitted to the building.

Furthermore, my machine requires no springs, rubbers or the like to restore it'to its normal center. c

In the drawings I have shown several embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a centrifugal embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 shows the drive for the machine of I Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a centrifugal similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but gear riven;

F Fig. 4 shows "the drive for the machine of ig. 3' Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view of a still further modification of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a further modification.

1929. Serial No. 881,410.

the wall thereof adjacent the bottom of the basket. The sides of the basket are of any suitable material, it being understood that the materials thrown off due to centrifugal action when the basket is rotating pass through the basket wall.

5 designates the bottom of the basket, and from an inspection of the drawings it will be apparent that this bottom member is provided with an integral downwardly extending flange 6, to provide a drive pulley for driving the basket as will be pointed out presently.

The tub I just below the basket and just below the dischar e opening 4 is provided with a transverse ange 7 extending inwardly toward the pulley 6, so as to provide. a gutter upon which the material discharges from the basket and moves out through the opening 4.

The pulley or flange 6 passes downthrough the flange? in the tub bottom, clearance being provided between the flange and pulley to permit the pulley to have movement relativelg to the flange. ft

8 esignates a supporting sha carr 'n bearings 9 and 10, the shaft extending l ip wardly into the basket 2, and the basket ing provided with a central housing 11 for receiving the shaft and bearings, whereby the basket is supported for rotation about the shaft.

' The bottom of the tubl is provided with a concave bearing surface 12 andsecured to the bottom of the shaft 8 is a foot 13 the lower end of which is spherical and rests in the concave seat 12 in the'tub. Immediately plate 14 bolted to the above the foot 13 is a tub 1, this plate preventing upward movement of the foot. The center of the curve 15 of the tooth and of the concavity 12 in the tub is either at or above, but not below, the center of gravity of the with its load.

By providing this "construction it will be appreciated that the basket with 'or without its load does not need to be in perfect balance, any unbalanced condition of the basket and load being compensated for by the sliding action permitted between the rotatable basket 2 This gear meshes driven from a pulley 17. 18 designates a tension pulley held against spring 19. This drive permits of the sliding movement of the basket 2 above referred to durin operation of the machine.

In igs. 3 and 4 I have provided a construction similar to that above described except that I have varied the drive. In this figure the pulley 6 has been substituted by a bevel gear 20 which is secured rigidly to the underside of the-bottomof the basket 2.

the belt 16 by ried by a drive shaft 22. The hub 23 of the foot 13 is provided with a yoke 24 and the drlve shaft 22 to which the bevel gear 21 is secured passes through this yoke. The

drive shaft is provided with universal couplings 25 and 26 which permits of the desired sliding movement of the foot 13 in its bearing in the bottom of the tub 1.

. In Fig. 5 I provide a further modification in which not only the rotating but the nonrotating parts ofthe machine are mounted in a sliding bearing. Referring to this embodiment of my invention, 27 designates the tub and 28 the basket of my improved machine. 29 designates struts provided with a common foot 30 having a convex or spherical surface bearing in the concave upper, surface of a member 31 which rests upon the floor. The basket 28 is supported on and aflixed to a shaft 33 mounted in bearings 34 and 35 provided in the base 36 of the tub. 37 is a discharge opening for the material discharged through the sides of the basket 28.

To the side of the tub is rigidly secured a drive motor 38. The lower end of the shaft 33 projects below, the bottom of the tub as shown at 39 and carries a pulley 40 on its lower end for a drive belt 41 driven from a pulley 42 on the shaft. of the motor 38. This. construction provides, therefore, a machine in which the rotating part, to wit, the basket 28 and the non-rotating part, to wit, the tub 27 are mounted for sliding movement in the concave face of the member-'31.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 6 the basket 43 is 44 mounted for rotation in bearings 45 and 46, these bearings being in turn mounted in a supporting member 47, the lower end of which is convex or spherical as shown at-48 and rests upon the concave surface 49 provided in the bottom 50 of the tub.. The stationary part. of the machine including the driving motor is supported by legs 51 which may rest upon the floor.

The shaft 44 proiectsfthrough the bottom with a bevel gear 21 car-- supported on a shaft 50 of the tub and carries a drive pulley 52 for a belt 53 driven by a pulley 54 mounted on the end of the drive shaft of the driving motor 55 which is mounted on the side of the tub. In this form of my invention the basket is permitted a sliding movement relatively to the tub due to the provision of the curved or spherical bearing surface of the member 47 In the forms of myinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 and in Fig. 6, it will be observed that the non-rotating part of my improved machine has no movement and that the rotating part of the machine, to wit, the basket has a sliding movement on the non-rotating parts, the curved or spherical surface on which the basket slides being struck from a center not lower than the center of gravity of the rotating parts with their load. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 5 not only are the rotating parts so supported but the non-rotating parts as well.

Allof these constructionsprovide a centrifugal wherein the rotating part or parts with or without load need :not be in perfect balance and also it will be appreciated that my machine can be set on the floor without providing an opening or pit below 1t, and requires no suspension for preventing the vibrations set up in the machine from being transmitted to the building where the machine is installed.

It will be appreciated, of course, that changes may be made in the details of cpnstruction above described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In an underdriven centrifugal'machine', a supporting base having a curved surface, a bearing support on said curved surface of the base and having its surface of the same curvature as the curved surface of the base, a vertically extending rotatable shaft in superimposed relation to and supported entirely by said bearing support, and a rotatable basket mounted on the shaft directly above said tion, a concave bearing in said tub, a convex foot carried by said shaft and having a sliding bearing in said concave bearing, a curved plate'overlying said foot and attached to said tub, a drive pulley carried by said basket, a belt on said pulley, and exterior of said tub, said belt being constructed and arranged to permit of sliding movement of the basket relatively to the tub.

3. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of a rotatable basket, a stationary tub within which the basket is rotatable, a gear carried by the bottom ofsaid basket, a shaft supporting said basket, a sliding bearing for a drive for said belt supported entire said shaft in said tub, a gear meshing'with said first mentioned gear, and a flexible drive shaft for said last mentioned gear.

4. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of an underdriven rotatable basket in stable equilibrium, ing member therefor beneath the center of the basket and a vertically extending rotatable shaft in en erimposed relation to and l y by said slidable support-- mg member and carrying said rotatable basket, said shaft terminating Within said basket This specification signed this 25th day of July, 1929.

FLETCHER SCI-IAI JM.

a single slidable support- 

